6 Strategies to Beat Procrastination
Procrastination…it’s something we’re all guilty of, and it can keep us from reaching some seriously important life goals.
Many of us postpone tasks until tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that – which is why it’s vital to find ways to beat procrastination. In all fairness, procrastinating from time to time is not the end of the world. But it’s all too easy to make it a recurring habit, meaning you might just become a permanent procrastinator before you know it.
So don’t hesitate to get started: today’s the perfect day to kick your procrastination habit with six easy strategies.
Why We Need a Way to Beat Procrastination
Procrastinating on a regular basis has some serious effects on our lives…
- It may cause chain reactions of avoidance, causing us to form bad habits. And once we’ve picked up the habit of procrastination, our productivity goes down the drain.
- Procrastinating makes our mind believe that the task at hand is much harder and more complicated than it really is, which makes us feel as though it’s impossible to do. And that leads to overwhelm, which then causes us to procrastinate even more.
- It also forms limiting beliefs in our minds. By spending so much time fretting over the task at hand, we start believing that we’re actually incapable of completing it, which can lower our self-esteem.
After all that, it should be easy to see why we need to say goodbye to procrastination for good!
Six Strategies to Stop Procrastinating
Try using these six powerful techniques to free yourself from the cycle of procrastination today:
1. Talk Positive for Increased Productivity
Have you ever found yourself bad-mouthing the tasks you need to do? Your inner dialogue and your attitude towards the task at hand have a lot to do with how productive you are. Shifting your mindset from “I should probably do this” to something like “I really want to get this completed” can help significantly. Say it out loud a few times, summon up some self-belief, and you’re halfway there!
2. Exit the Indecision Zone
A lot of folks who are prone to procrastination tend to linger in the indecision zone for prolonged periods of time. They aren’t 100% sure of what they want to do or if they really want to do it – not to mention the fact that they haven’t set themselves a deadline. Make a decision to get something done, set yourself a timeframe, and then stay committed to that goal.
3. Remember the Big Picture
When we’re so caught up in putting off the task at hand, we tend to forget the bigger picture. And it’s often by remembering our aims and ambitions that we start to see the value of completing the task we’ve been avoiding. Try motivating yourself by thinking about how this task fits into your future goals, and how completing it will move you one step closer to them.
4. Make Use of Emotional Anchors
Human beings are inclined to seek out pleasure and avoid whatever causes us pain or discomfort. One way you can harness this to your advantage is by associating the completion of the task with pleasure, and associating procrastination with stress and pain. Make a point of rewarding yourself after you complete tasks, and breathe a sigh of relief at the stress you’ve avoided by not procrastinating.
5. Say No to Instant Gratification
It’s no secret: modern civilization has conditioned us to the point where instant gratification seems more appealing than long-term results. Sure, it’s a good feeling, but it doesn’t lead to lasting satisfaction. Quick results are often the covers we use to avoid the “harder tasks at hand”, so remind yourself that the work you get done now will make you happier in the long run.
6. Just Do It!
Most of us are plain terrified of taking that vital first step – we make up all sorts of excuses and find ourselves waiting for the ‘perfect time’ to begin. There’s only one way round this: you have to make starting so easy you can’t say no. Commit to working on the task for a minimum of just five minutes, and you’ll find that once you’ve broken that initial barrier, it’s much easier to keep going.
Final Thoughts
We’ve shown you 6 super simple – yet very effective – ways to break the vicious cycle of procrastination. Once you start implementing these tricks and tips, you’ll find that there’s not much you can’t get done once you set your mind to it. Start applying these techniques to your tasks management strategies today and watch them turbocharge your productivity!
featured image: unsplash.com
Megan is always looking for ways to increase her productivity, make her apartment chemical-free, and keep her diet as unprocessed as possible. She loves experimenting with DIY health & beauty recipes (using only natural ingredients). You can find her work at Gold Mountain Beauty where she is responsible for the blog, Instagram and Pinterest.
